Jean Lahiniriko

Jean Lahiniriko (born April 1, 1956) is a Malagasy politician. He served in the government of Madagascar as Minister of Public Works from 2002 to 2003 and was president of the National Assembly of Madagascar from 2003 to 2006. Subsequently he was the second place candidate in the 2006 presidential election. He is now the president of the Socialist and Democratic Party for the Unity of Madagascar (PSDUM) and a member of the High Transitional Authority under President Andry Rajoelina.

Lahiniriko was born in Tongobory, Atsimo-Andrefana in the south of Madagascar and studied at the Lycée de génie civil d'Ampefoloha à Antananarivo. In the late 1970s, he moved to undertake further studies in civil engineering in Cuba. After working on various civil engineering projects, in 1985, he became the director of Zanatany, then from 1989 until 2003 he held various prominent civil service posts.

Under President Marc Ravalomanana, Lahiniriko was appointed as the Minister of Public Works in Prime Minister Jacques Sylla's first government, named on March 1, 2002, remaining in that position until January 2003. He was elected to the National Assembly in the December 2002 parliamentary election from the Betioky Sud district in Toliara Province under the banner of the Tiako I Madagasikara (TIM) party, receiving 56% of the vote in his district. On January 21, 2003, he was elected as president of the National Assembly, receiving 113 out of 146 votes.

In April 2006, Lahiniriko visited Iran and while there commented positively on Iran's nuclear programme. At home, his comments led to accusations of treason from members of parliament; Lahiniriko said the comments had only represented his personal views and were not intended as a statement of official policy. On May 8, the National Assembly voted Lahiniriko out of his position as its president, with 119 out of 160 legislators in favor of his removal. He was also expelled from TIM a week before he was voted out of his position. Two days after being removed from office, he announced that he would run for president in the December 2006 presidential election. According to official results, he placed second, with 11.65% of the vote, behind Ravalomanana, who received a majority in the first round. Lahiniriko received his strongest support in his home province of Toliara, where he won 45.95% of the vote, ten points more than Ravalomanana.

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